Oct. 11th, 1884. 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
87 
“THE BOTANICAL MAGAZINE.” 
The October number of this work contains plates 
and descriptions of one or two exceptionally interest¬ 
ing plants. There are five coloured plates, which are 
noted below in numerical order:— 
H.emanthus Katherine (t. 6778).—This noble 
species is a native of Natal, and the plant figured 
was sent by W. B. Lyle, Esq., of the Kirkley Yale 
Estate, Natal. It flowered at Kew in May. The 
globose bulb reaches 3 ins. in diameter, from which 
proceed three to five large pale bright green leaves, 
which are 6 to 14ins. long by 2 to 5 ins. broad, elliptical- 
lanceolate, with nine or ten longitudinal veins on 
either side of the mid-rib. These are connected by 
numerous transverse nervules. The umbel, which is 
5 to 7 ins. in diameter, with very numerous scarlet 
flowers, considerably overtops the leaves. The 
perianth tube is 1 in. long, and the linear reflexed 
segments are a little longer still. The anthers are 
yellow, and much exerted beyond the flowers. It 
has also flowered in Mr. Gumbleton’s garden, near 
Cork. It is named after the wife of Mr. Saunder- 
son, a gentleman who first sent dried specimens to 
Kew. 
Corylopsis himatayana (t. 6779).—A singularly 
elegant and graceful shrub, producing its pendulous 
racemes hi February, while the leaves appear hi June. 
It was first discovered by Griffith, in Bhotan, north 
of the Assam Valley, at an elevation of 5,000 to S,000 
ft., and has since been found south of this valley, in 
the Kkasia Mountains, at from 4,000 to 6,000 ft. In 
its native home it is a nut-like bush or small tree, 
about 20 ft. high. The branchlets and peduncles are 
pubescent; the leaves broadly ovate, acute, finely 
serrate, rugose above, pale green, 4 to 6 ins. long, 
and nearly as broad. The dense-flowered pendulous 
racemes of primrose flowers are 1 to 2£ ins. long, and 
with several pale green concave bracts near their base. 
The flowers are 4 in. in diameter, with orange anthers, 
and a scent like primroses. It was introduced to 
English gardens by Dr. King, of Calcutta, in 1879 ; 
seeds having been sent to Kew. 
Pyrus Mauxei (t. 6780).—Flowers and fruit of this 
handsome plant are here represented. Introduced 
in 1874 by Messrs. Maule & Son, of Bristol, from 
Japan, it is one of the most valuable of recent 
additions to our shrubberies. With the exception of 
the fruit it is extremely like the well-known P. 
japonica. This latter is globose, with scarcely any 
angles, and bright yellow in colour; while the fruit 
of P. japonica is more ovoid, distinctly 5-angled, 
and with a different texture and taste. P. Maulei 
flowered at Kew in April, decidedly later than P. 
japonica. 
Chrysanthemum cinerardefolium (t. 6781).—This 
plant, which is a native of Dalmatia, yields the 
famous Dalmatian insect powder. The flowers are 
said to be the most valuable product of their native 
country, where it is also cultivated. This powder 
must not be confounded with the Caucasian insecticide 
powder of Pyrethrum roseum, which is cultivated in 
France. A valuable paper appeared in the Report of 
the United States Commission of Agriculture for 
1881-82 (p. 76, tab. 4), by G. B. Boring, Esq., on the 
cultivation and production of both these insecticides 
in the United States, together with copious notes on 
their application to insects. It appears that especially 
in solution these powders are both valuable remedies, 
though far from infallible. If dusted on the insects 
with an ordinary bellows it is an excellent specific for 
aphides, house flies, mosquitoes, or gnats, and the 
commoner insects which infest plants in rooms and 
houses. It may also be burnt with good effect, and 
where the powder cannot be used dry it may be used 
in solution or decoction in water. The result, how¬ 
ever, is said not to be permanent, the insects re¬ 
appearing after half-an-liour unhurt. In the open-air 
the powder must actually touch the insects to have 
any effect. Another disadvantage is that no effect is 
produced on eggs, hairy caterpillars, spiders, beetles, 
and some other insects. To return to the plant, the 
leaves are very much divided into narrow segments, 
and the flowers—which are produced in July and 
August—are very similar to the well-known White 
Marguerite. 
Streptocarpus Kxrkii (6782). — A very elegant 
species from E. Tropical Africa, sent by Sir John 
Kirk. It appears that a Wardian case was packed 
with ferns, from the hilly country of the coast opposite 
to Zanzibar, and that various seeds were sown in the 
soil. This case arrived at Kew in 1882, and the 
present plant, which flowered in March, 1884, is one 
of the seedlings. It is 4 ins. to 6 ins. high, with oppo¬ 
site, broadly ovate, obtuse, crenate, and hairy leaves. 
The pale lilac drooping flowers are borne on slender 
branched cymes. The corolla-tube is curved, | in. 
long, with rounded ciliolate lobes. 
By the way, we do not notice any account of the 
Palm figured last month, and of which the name and 
description stood over till October. 
ON RENOVATING VINES. 
The present is a good time to examine the roots 
of Vines (from which the crop has been taken) which 
during the last year or two have shown signs of 
debility, with a view to ascertaining and correcting 
the cause of their unsatisfactory condition. But 
before proceeding with this operation, a sufficient 
quantity of suitable soil for carrying out the work 
should be got in readiness, so that the process of 
lifting and relaying the roots in congenial soil may 
be completed as quickly as possible. The compost 
should be in the proportion of five cartloads of cal¬ 
careous loam, one load of wood-ashes, one load of 
lime-rubble, one load of horse-droppings, and about 
three barrowsful of soot, and the whole should be 
turned over two or three times to thoroughly mix 
the different ingredients before being used. This 
done, the lifting of the Vine-roots should be carefully 
proceeded with by removing the soil with the assist¬ 
ance of four-pronged forks and shovels, taking care 
to injure the roots as little as possible in doing 
so. The roots, as much to facilitate the work of 
lifting and re-planting as to prevent them from being 
injured, should be tied separately together in a damp 
mat to keep them fresh while the exhausted and, 
perhaps, sour soil is being removed from the drainage. 
The latter, if found defective, should be re-arranged 
and covered with a layer of turf, the grassy side 
down. 
The process of re-planting may then be proceeded 
with, and as the soil will subside some 6 ins. or 7 ins. 
within a few months after planting, allowance to that 
extent should be made in forming the border. Then 
untie the roots and spread them out regularly over 
the surface of the border, at the same time cutting off 
any portion of the same that may have got damaged 
in being lifted, and shorten back the points of all the 
other roots more or less, according to then - length and 
strength. Incisions should also be made with a sharp 
knife about the base of the individual Vines, and longi¬ 
tudinally on the strongest and somewhat bare roots, 
to encourage the emission of young fibrous roots, and, 
with the same object in view, cover the latter slightly 
with sand, then with 6 ins. thick of the same soil as 
that forming the border. This done, give the whole 
sufficient tepid water to settle the soil about the roots, 
and then put on a surface-dressing of 3 ins. thick of 
rotten dung, and over this, if the border be an outside 
one, 18 ins. to 20 ins. thick of Oak or Chestnut leaves 
as soon as they can be had. The leaves, in order to 
prevent them being blown about, should be covered 
with long stable dung. 
From the time the lifting of the roots is proceeded 
with until they have been replanted and the Vines 
have shed their leaves they should be shaded—heavily 
at first—from bright sunshine, with a view to retaining 
the leaves on the \ ines until they have performed 
their ordinary functions and the roots have taken to 
the new soil, and in furtherance of this object the 
Vines should be syringed, more or less, two or three 
times a day during the interval from lifting the roots 
until the fall of the leaf. Vines thus treated should 
be allowed to come on in their own time next year— 
that is, to start into growth naturally about the end 
of March or early in April, and, if managed with 
ordinary skill during the various stages of their 
growth, from the disbudding to the thinning of 
the bunches, &c., they will be capable of ripening a 
better crop of Grapes next autumn than they 
did this. But the Vines should be cropped lightly 
notwithstanding. In conclusion, we need only'reinark 
that if the supply of Grapes could be continued 
fairly well without the aid of those means we have 
been treating of, we should prefer planting young 
Vines either now or next April and fruiting every 
other one (supernumeraries) the following year. In 
either case the roots, assuming them to be confined 
to pots, should be disentangled and planted as above 
recommended, and, instead of making the entire 
border at one time, as advised for established Vines, 
we should make it in sections—about 6 ft. wide at first 
and 3 ft. afterwards—for young Vines.— II. W. TV. 
TOWN AND SUBURBAN 
PLANTING. 
The season is now near at hand, indeed it may be 
said to be already at our door, when the question of 
planting will be agitating the minds of many. Before 
alluding to some of the subjects best suited for town 
and suburban planting, it may not be out of place to 
make a few remarks relative to the best time to plant. 
Very much has been said and written recommending 
autumn as the best time to transplant trees and 
shrubs, and no doubt if the conditions exist which 
are necessary to successful planting, i.e., sufficient 
moisture in the earth and air, then and only then can 
it be said that the autumn is the best time to plant. 
In such a season as we are passing through the 
required moisture is wanting; there is no knowing 
how soon we may get rain in quantity, but until we 
do it will be impossible to transplant either trees or 
shrubs with safety. I believe the spring to be the 
best time to plant in all dry localities, independent of 
any consideration as to whether the season may be a 
dry or a wet one. Many instances could be adduced 
of autumn-planting being carried out with anything 
but satisfactory results, and where, when the planting 
was delayed until spring, the losses became infini¬ 
tesimal. My argument in favour of spring as against 
autumn-planting refers more particularly to the 
planting of evergreens. Deciduous trees may be 
more safely transplanted in the autumn, just as the 
leaf is falling. 
There appears to be a growing disposition on the 
part of planters to introduce a more liberal proportion 
of deciduous trees and flowering shrubs where they 
have the opportunity, and this can hardly be wondered 
at when we consider the charming variety from which 
a choice can be made. It should be borne in mind by 
those who may have planting to carry out in town or 
suburban gardens, that deciduous trees and shrubs are 
preferable to most of the evergreens, the former 
having an advantage over the latter, inasmuch as 
they yearly disrobe themselves, as it were, and by that 
means get rid of the accumulation of dust and smut 
which is so injurious to their health, leaving stem 
and branch free to be cleansed by passing showers. 
It is not so with the evergreen, however, for although 
equally hardy they wear the same garb all the year 
round, and so are, with few exceptions, unfitted for 
planting in towns. The exceptions are those which 
have smooth and shining leaves, such as the Aucuba, 
some of the Hollies, a few of the Rhododendrons, 
Euonymus, Ligustrum, Skimmia, and Laurels of sorts, 
the best being the variety called rotundifolia. 
Trees for towns and suburban planting should be 
chosen more for them elegant and characteristic habit 
of growth than for their size. It is sometimes neces¬ 
sary to plant with the view of making a screen, or to 
shut out some offensive object, and in such a case no 
better tree for the purpose can be selected than the 
Canadian Poplar (Populus canadensis nova). It makes 
a handsome tree, and possibly grows more rapidly than 
any other. In my next I will give you a list of the 
trees and shrubs best suited for town and suburban 
planting.— G. T. 
- S~' ■ — 
Salvia farinacea. —There is a delicate beauty about 
this autumn Salvia which makes it desirable. It is 
not showy, but the upper parts of its slender stems 
are covered with a white mealy substance, on which 
the purple flowers are thickly set. It is a Mexican 
species, not absolutely hardy, but one which succeeds 
well in the open border in the south. Mr. Crook 
brings us some fine spikes of it from the garden at 
Farnborough Grange, along with some robust spikes 
of Larkspur and tuberous Begonias from the open 
border ; Salvia cacalisefolia is also sent, but it is not 
nearly so showy as S. patens .—The Garden. 
